What if you are Driven and Dominant?

The first step on the behavioral styles road is to find out what your primary behavior style is. When I teach seminars about the DISC, I use a quick exercise to help people find out what their style is. In this exercise I have people first go to the side of the room they feel best describes them. The sides represent fast paced/slow paced. Before we get any further into this discussion, let me point out, that none of the descriptor words are meant to be judgments. They are just that, descriptors.

Once everyone has chosen a side, I further divide the room into quadrants by splitting the sides into two, based on whether a person is motivated by tasks or people. When finished the room is divided into quadrants like this.

Once you know which corner of the room you are in then I address what the DISC means, and how to use this information. Before I go any further, I have to add that no one is simply a D, I, S or C. We are all unique blends of the four behavioral styles… when we speak of someone being a D, it simply means that this person displays more D behavior than they do the others. When I first learned of the DISC system, I was told that it placed people in a cubby hole of one behavioral style or the other. As I learned more, I found that the intention is certainly not to “cubby hole” people, but to easier understand why they behave the way they do, and to learn how to interact with them better.

I thought I would give you quick example from my life. I am a “D”, meaning that I am driven, determined, dominant. I am fast paced and task oriented. D’s (myself included) tend to see ourselves as leaders and will bark orders in a heartbeat. We want to be in charge.

Interestingly enough, every primary behavior style has strengths, challenges and potential for the strengths if not checked to become downright problems. D’s often times have problems dealing with others, we are motivated by tasks, getting things done, and can be prone to losing sight of the human factor. It is very important for D’s to learn that the majority of the worlds population are motivated by people.

When dealing with a “D” prospect or referral source, a few things to remember are: hit the bottom line first, get straight to business, focus on the results. Letting a “D” know how you can will help them get more tasks accomplished easier and faster will win them over quickly.